Battery-well



' UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

JENS G. SOHREUDER, OF EDGEWOOD, AND SIMON-H. STUPAKOFF, OF

PITTSBURG, ASSIGNORS TO THE UNION SWITCH AND SIGNAL COM- PANY, OF SWISSVALE, PENNSYLVANIA.

BATTERY-WELL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 550,534, dated November 26, 1895.

Application filed October 25, 1894-.- Serial No. 526,935. (No model.)

kind described and claimed in application,

Serial No. 492,641, filed December 2, 1893.

In very many parts of the country it is exceedingly difficult, especially in dry seasons, to obtain water for charging the batteries along the lines of railroads.

The object of the invention herein is to provide a reservoir or chamber for the collection of water and for the drainage of the batterywell.

In general terms the invention consists in the construction and combination substantially as hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a battery-well embodying our improvement. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same, the plane of section being indicated by the line x 00, Fig. 1.

In the practice of our invent-ion the batterywell is preferably constructed as described in the above-recited application, and consists of a lower section 1, resting on a slab or disk 2, preferably formed integral with the lower section, the edges of the bottom projecting beyond the sides of section 1, forming a flange 3, which serves as an anchor to prevent the lifting of the well. The upper end of section 1 is bell-mouthed, as at 4, for the reception of the spigot end of the next adjacent section, whose opposite end is bell-mouthed for the reception of a third section. These sections are preferably formed of glazed terra-cotta, but may be formed of any other suitable material capable of resisting atmospheric action.

The hole or excavation for the well is made deeper than it is desired to sink the well, and

the Walls of this lower extension are lined with loose-laid stone, so as to permit of the inflow or seepage of water thereinto. sired, a lining of porous unglazed earthenware may be placed in this extension or reservoir 5. The walls and lining of this reservoir serve as a support or foundation for the shell of the well proper, the bottom slab or disk 2 forming a cover for the auxiliary reservoir. In the bottom of the shell 1, and preferably near one edge thereof, is formed an opening 2, preferably internally threaded, for the reception of the tube 6, externally threaded at a point a suitable distance from its lower end, proportional to the depth of the reservoir. The lower end of the tube 6 is open or perforated, and its upper end is constructed so as to receive a suitable pumping device 6 for drawing the water up from the reservoir. The tube 6 serves as a stopper to prevent the water from flowing up from the reservoir into the well, and can be removed, if desired, so as to permit any water which may seep into the well through its joints to flow down into the reservoir.

As described in said application, the cells forming the battery are arranged upon a suitable frame, consisting of a series of shelves 7, fastened together at a suitable distance apart, and provided with a handle 8, whereby the frame may be lifted from the well. The edge of the upper section of the well is notched, as at 11, for the insertion of wires, and the cover 9 is provided with a shield 10 at one side for protecting the wires where they pass out from the Well.

As shown in Fig. 1, the tube 6 is made of sufficient length to reach to or nearly to the top of the well, so that thepump can be easily applied thereto when it is desired to'dr'aw water from the reservoir to charge the batteries. The reservoir, which is sunk at a considerable distance below the surface of the ground, will become filled with the water during rainy seasons, filtered by its passage through the earth, and will afford a constant supply, ready at hand, for' the repairmen.

When the well is located so that in dry seasons the water may drain out of the reservoir, the bottom and walls of the lower por- If deloo tion of the reservoir are made non-porous by glazing, so that a considerable quantity of water will be retained.

Ve claim herein as our invention 1. The combination of a battery well having a closed lower end, a water reservoir l0- Gated below the well and a pump tube passing down through the well into the reservoir, whereby water may be drawn from the reservoir for charging the batteries, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of a well for batteries provided with a lining consisting of a series of two or more sections formed of a material refractory as against atmospheric action, a

bottom plate or disk having an opening therethrough, a reservoir having porous walls forming a support for the bottom plate and a pump JENS G. SOIIREUDER. SIMON II. STUPAKOFF.

' Witnesses:

F. E. GAITI-IER, DARWIN S. WoLcorT. 

